Origami Kids Cafe is a mix of indoor playroom and a cafe for little ones between the ages of 0-7 years. It sits on top of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Kowloon Bay, which is a fun location on a clear, sunny day as the kids can run around the top deck of the cruise terminal while one can enjoy the surrounding views. It is especially fun when a bit cruise ship is docked next door, as there can be lots to see.
Families can come and play for two hours at a time at the Origami Kids Cafe, which features cut house structures and motifs in a charming little town layout. There are several different areas to explore and play in, including a kitchen corner, a book reading corner, a safe play area for babies and crawlers, a few slides and an indoor sand pit (but instead of sand it is filled with small wooden balls – which is great if you have a toddler, but not so much fun if you have a baby, who puts everything in his/her mouth).
The good thing about Origami Kids Cafe is that it children can play safely, with mainly wooden toys, next to the parents or guardians, while the adults can sit down and relax with some food and drink. Of course, the children can eat too – but we found on several occasions, with and without friends, that the creative Chinese food menu might have received ‘prizes and awards’ but at the end of the day, all our kids like to eat is the fried rice and scrambled egg.
The highlight for my children is the kitchen area with the little shops, trolleys and lots of wooden toys to chose from – but they do also like the slides and little wooden gym. The tent with the picknick area often gets noticed at the end when the time runs out, which can end in children’s tears.
Overall I would say it is a great space – all the toys are neat, tidy and clean. The majority of toys is made out of wood and is very durable.
Of course, it is expensive (it is Hong Kong after all) but that’s not the major drawback. For me, there are several other drawbacks:
– The location. Unless you are walking for miles, there is no easy way to reach the cruise terminal with public transport
– While it is fun to explore the rooftop with the little garden and enjoy the views, there is not a kiosk or a quick food/drink option available
– Inside Origami Kids Cafe the wooden ball/sandpit is annoying with little ones. Firstly, you have to be careful that they do not eat the wooden balls and secondly, more worryingly, there is a steep wooden ladder up to a small second floor with beautiful wooden train tracks and cars – but it is so easy to slip on the ladder (especially if wooden balls are on the steps)
– On our first visits back in early and mid-2018 there were lots more wooden toys in the kitchen, but when we came back in late 2018 some were broken and others were lost, which made my girl very unhappy
The opening hours are from 10am to 8pm everyday. It is best to pre-book tickets for the different slots (usually at 10.00, 12.15, 14.30, 16.45 and 19.00) online. The tickets cost 138HKD per child/weekday, 198HKD per child/weekend and babies under 1 year are free. Adults are technically free too, but subject to a minimum food and beverage charge of 100HKD per adult.
Origami Kids Cafe
Rooftop, North End, Zone B, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal
33 Shing Fung Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
bluebalu 